Arsenal have handed Manchester City the opportunity to go top of the Premier League and Wayne Rooney has offered his verdict on how the Premier League title race will unfold
Wayne Rooney believes that Arsenal remain favourites to win the Premier League and expects them to claim the title despite losing to Manchester City. The Gunners slipped up against Pep Guardiola’s side to record a 2-1 defeat on Sunday.
The momentum appears to have shifted in City’s direction, with Mikel Arteta’s men suffering back-to-back defeats. Arsenal’s rivals are within three points of the Gunners and could leapfrog them if they beat Burnley on Wednesday night.
But former Manchester United forward Rooney does not believe it is a straight march to another trophy for Guardiola and co. The 40-year-old reckons that the Etihad club could soon slip up themselves to hand the initiative to Arsenal.
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He believes the team that is able to keep their composure in the final five matches will prevail. “This title race is not over yet,” he said on Match of the Day.
“I still feel like there are some more twists and turns to come. It is obviously going to be tight but City have got one more game to try to win, so I still have Arsenal down as slight favourites.
“I’ve been in this situation myself, where you need to win all your games for the title. You look at your games and you think well we should win this one, or that one, but it never pans out that way.
“From now until the end of the season it is just going to be down to which team keeps their composure the best – that’s who will win it.”
But Rooney has gone a step further, predicting how Arsenal and Manchester City’s seasons will pan out. The former England international anticipates City beating Burnley but then only recording a draw against Everton.
He has backed the Citizens to then beat Brentford, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace but the stalemate with the Toffees will prove pivotal. Rooney has predicted Arsenal to win all of their remaining games, which would mean they would win the league by two points.
Arteta is still adamant his team can win the league. I believe today, I believe on Wednesday, a week ago, because I see them every day and I know the level that we have,” he said in his press conference.
“But today, if they need to be more convinced, I think they are now more convinced. They were talking about it in the dressing room.
“It’s a new league now. They were a game in hand. We have three points of advantage and five games to play. So everything is still to play for.
“So we know how much we want it and we’re not going to stop and we’re going to go again, that’s for sure.”
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
